Death is Never Quite a Welcome Guest
by audiodroplets
Summary: Severus Snape just wants to be able to live as he please. As he drowns himself with denial and fire whiskey, will old friends change him? Will a bushyhaired knowitall change his perspective?


_**Disclaimer :**__ I own nothing. Don't sue!_

_This is my first fan fiction - I've had plot inklings in my mind for a long while, but now - armed with my Bartlett's quote book and excess time - I can finally write some of my ideas down. Please review - I can never become a better writer without the help of dear friends. _

* * *

**MORS CERTA**

Dripping. Dripping water. That's all he could hear in the dark as he waited.

_Rain on the eve of battle? Sounds like a Shakespearean tragedy already,_ he thought, sweeping his dark hair from his face.

The drizzle on his forehead trapped a few stubborn strands, and he reached again, with a huff, to clear the remaining annoyances from his thoughts.

He glanced over at where the others should be standing – invisibility was a definite advantage, but not seeing your side of the army was a little disconcerting.

His eyebrows knit into a scowl as he glanced up at the sky that was threatening to open up and release the fury of the heavens on them.

_It was such a stroke of luck that Voldemort sent me on a mission on this evening to end all evenings. He won't even notice that I've betrayed him until I have my wand at his throat, figuratively, of course. Wouldn't want to steal the Potter brat's glory,_ he groused.

_But...what if the Dark Lord knows? He thinks of me as one of his "most trusted" servants...why would he not want me involved in this meeting?_

Thunder cracked, and sheets of rain began pouring down. _Our clever cover is blown – rain still falls on our forms, however invisible we may be. Brilliant. _

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw cloaked figures slowly reappearing; he dropped his Disillusionment Charm and started walking briskly towards a bearded man.

"Headmaster. How are we going to alleviate this…setback?" he said before muttering 'Impervius' to shield himself from the driving rain.

The older man's eyes twinkled. "My dear boy, do you really think that we wouldn't account for weather in our planning?"

"I had fears – a choice few involved plan as if there were safety in stupidity alone."

"Now, Severus, that's not a fair thing to say; he's lived thus far, and he will succeed tonight. Enough idle chatting, time is precious." Dumbledore's voice rose to a shout, "On to Plan B."

"There is strong shadow where there is much light," Dumbledore started, cryptically. "Tonight, we use shadow against those shadowed. Our invisibility may have failed us, but the night never will – spread yourselves out, think of the rain as a blessing, not a curse, and, once the battle starts raging: protect your fellow man, protect Harry, and protect the Light!" he bellowed over the torrent of rain.

Everyone fanned out in a matter of minutes into the dark of the forest around the clearing where Voldemort and his Death Eaters were supposed to convene. The rain hid them as well as any invisibility charm, though they had to be farther off.

Anxiety was visible in the faces he could see; he thought better of watching the younger ones fidget and stared straight ahead.

His eyes settled on the Fortingall Yew, leaves quivering from the rain, but as Severus watched, it stopped its shaking; evidently, the tree had cast some sort of protective spell around itself so that its leaves would remain intact. The rain dropped and rolled around the tree like a glass orb surrounded it.

Severus was hardly surprised; the Fortingall Yew was the oldest and, possibly, the most powerful tree in all of Europe.

_If I live through this confrontation, I should collect some leaves for my personal stores. Living, however, is fairly unlikely,_ he thought, before listing all of the uses for yew in his head to keep his mind off of the matters at hand.

Rousing from his thoughts, he sees flutters of velvet black robes yards in front of him. His entire body tensed, his jaw set, and his eyes narrowed.

"Now!" shouted a voice to the right of him. The masked faces before him swung from side to side and before they knew what hit them he had stunned and bound them with nonverbal spells.

Severus ran while scanning his surroundings for more Death Eaters when he saw the lights flashing in the distance.

He ran, keeping his wand at the ready, towards the battle and started hurtling off hexes the moment he could tell ally from foe.

Stunning and binding four Death Eaters from behind, he was finally noticed.

Lucius Malfoy's mask was swept off in a fluid motion as he turned around to face Severus.

"Ah, my old friend Severus. I see where your loyalties now lie. The Dark Lord was correct tonight when he informed us to kill you on sight – he knew of your traitorous ways. You're not as sly as one might imagine," Lucius sneered, his wand pointed at Severus' throat.

"Men are deceivers ever, Lucius. What did the Dark Lord offer me that I could not receive from somewhere else? Did he think that by glossing over the fact that _I_ am a half-blood, would make me want to grovel and kiss the hems of his robes? There was no longer anything in it for me," he spat.

He continued walking towards Lucius, who was clearly rethinking standing his ground against this demon dog of a man.

Severus was within four feet of Lucius' face when he raised his wand and said, "Lucius, I am a self-serving man; however, the side of the Light offers not only a better life for me, but an ideal slightly more elevated: a life where I, along with others, can walk the streets without having arrogant purebloods, like yourself, telling us that we are beneath them. Because, my dear, sweet Lucius," Severus' scowl deepened, "the fact remains that **I am not beneath you!** In _any_ way," Snape yelled, as lightning illuminated his face. His expression dropped in an instant, once again leaving an emotionless facade.

"I have been deceiving both you and the Dark Lord you grovel at the feet of for twenty years," his voice was no louder than a growl.

Lucius' eyes widened as he realized that Snape was now nose to nose with him and had a firm grip on his wand hand. Severus wrenched the wand forcibly out of the blonde's hand.

"So, goodbye, old friend – I hope hell is to your liking. _Sectumsepra!_" Severus stepped back and watched the blonde fall to the ground, liquid rubies streaming out of the gash in his neck. The pale eyes found the black, and Malfoy's last breath shuttered out of his body.

The rain pounded dully on the ground, but twigs were snapping in rapid succession from behind Severus. Finally, the beating of rain upon skin found his perceptive ears.

Severus rounded on the Death Eater that lumbered towards him and shouted, "Incarcerous!" The man dodged, yelling back, "Avada Kedavra!"

Severus didn't even flinch as the curse missed him to his left by two feet. He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at the masked man. "Rabastan, I thought you'd have worked on that aim by now. Tut-tut."

Rabastan Lestrange roared, "TRAITOR! FILTHY HALF-BLOOD! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Again, Severus remained still as the curse whizzed by him. He raised his wand and his eyebrow. "Hardly a fair fight. _Avada Kedavra,_" he said with a quiet undertone of hatred, his eyes flashing.

Rabastan's eyes went dull and glassy as his knees buckled. Severus strode off towards the middle of the fray, hoping that his allies hadn't all fallen – Voldemort didn't grant much mercy to traitors.

The first person he spotted was Albus, in a duel with Bellatrix Lestrange. Next, he spotted Minerva, Filius, multiple Weasleys, and the bushy-haired know-it-all, Granger.

_At least most of my allies are standing. Merlin grant Potter safety, if he is still alive, because I'm not going to be there to save him._ He turned his focus to Hermione Granger, duelling and - it appears - subduing three Death Eaters.

_Who knew that she could apply what she learned in books to reality? Who knew she could do it so well? The two years she has been away from my everyday life has done her well. She looks positively ferocious and gorgeous…Get a grip man! It's war here._

He shook himself mentally as he reached a group of Death Eaters that had Arthur and Molly Weasley trapped. He cast his spells with lightning speed, bringing two of the five to the ground.

As two turned to him, Molly Weasley yelled a curse that left a trail of bright yellow sparks and both dropped to their knees.

"Thanks, Severus!" she yelled as the final Death Eater rounded on her. Severus watched for a split second as the Death Eater was thrown about and bound.

Severus ran past them and stumbled as a rogue Slicing Hex severed his calf. He stood up with a grimace, and he saw the Granger girl battling both Amycus and Alecto Carrow. She was fighting valiantly, but appeared to be getting tired. He knew the Carrows knew no mercy.

He ran up behind the Carrows and stopped, wand out. They both turned when he spoke. "Amycus, Alecto. How _nice_," he sneered, "to see you."

"Traitor," one muttered before flashes of light started hurtling his direction. He dodged two and threw up a shield that deflected a third.

He watched Hermione out of the corner of his eye move around the Carrows and stun Alecto.

Amycus saw his sister fall and yelled, "Stupefy!" Severus was hit directly in the chest and he fell to the ground as he saw Amycus turn to curse Hermione.

A minute later, Severus felt someone kneel beside him. His body tensed. "Ennervate," came a hoarse, yet sweet, voice.

He sat up, nodded in thanks, and hoisted himself up and limped off in the direction of Harry Potter and Voldemort. Hermione trailed behind him, both sending Stunners at any Death Eater near their path.

As they neared the duel, a burst of power knocked everyone off of their feet. As quickly as the force had burst out, it pulled back into the now empty spot that had previously been Voldemort.

Harry lay flat on the ground and a hush settled over the group that had now stopped throwing spells out of shock, and the inability to get up off the ground.

One arm pushed up, then the other, and Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and will forever be known as the Boy-Who-Killed-Voldemort-Twice, finally got to his feet, waved his wand about, and promptly collapsed.

Those that had been frozen watching the scene now realized where they were – it was a good thing that the Order sprung into action first, relieving all Death Eaters of their wands and binding them.

One of the last to be bound shouted in fright as Minerva McGonagall wrenched the wand from his left hand.

"What was that, Minnie?" Albus' voice echoed over the field.

"It appears that the _Dark Mark_ is gone, Albus," she yelled back, matter-of-factly.

_What?_ Severus yanked up his shirtsleeve. _Good God, it's true. I'm finally rid of that constant reminder of my mistakes. There's nothing left of my numerous sins on my physical person. _

A hand clapped him on the shoulder and the face of a tired, yet wise, old wizard greeted him with a half-smile. "You really should learn to forgive yourself, my boy. You deserve everything coming to you. You've helped make this," he waved his hand about, "happen. You helped defeat Tom, and, I believe, you should give yourself a new lease on life."

Severus eyed the Headmaster momentarily, then shook his head and spoke. "Headmaster...Albus... I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to let that happen."

With a twinkle in his eye, Dumbledore nodded. "Don't rule the possibility out, though, Severus. Certain circumstances can make men change." He ambled off, shouting to the newly arrived Ministry workers.

Severus just stood watching the wake of the old wizard, contemplating the words exchanged.

_That man... That man is going to be the death of me one day. If he doesn't tell me what's in his insufferable omniscient mind, I'm going to drive myself mad with wonder, or worry._

The rain started letting up, and Severus straightened up, pocketed his wand, and disapparated back to Hogwarts.

* * *

After the Death Eaters had been given a one-way ticket to Azkaban by the Ministry, the Order had moved all injured back to Hogwarts, and the dead were accounted for and taken to the Ministry morgue, Severus Snape ungracefully plunked down into a seat at one of the student tables in the Great Hall.

He had just gotten back from the Infirmary, and, although his leg did feel better, his head felt infinitely worse – Poppy Pomfrey was an evil woman: constantly nattering and trying her hardest to talk him to death.

He, along with the rest of the Order well enough to get down to the Great Hall, turned his attention to the Head Table, where Dumbledore stood patiently.

The Headmaster's serene face cracked into a warm smile when he started to speak. His voice boomed through the hall.

"Tonight, we have faced the greatest evil we've seen in a long time, and we came out victorious. However, victory does have its price. If you would all share a moment of silence while I read off the names of those deceased," Albus' eyes lost their twinkle as he ruffled papers on the Head Table.

Severus heard a sniffle from across the table and looked over to find a slightly worse-for-wear Hermione Granger, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, breathing deeply to calm herself.

He resisted the urge to reach out and grab her hand, but, when she looked over at him, he tried to give her a sympathetic expression. It seemed to work, she gave him a slight smile and looked away.

He looked away quickly, feeling stupid for caring about the silly, little girl. _Caring's not even the right word for it. I'm more annoyed than anything,_ he berated himself. Still, he kept glancing over to the woman to see if she was there and relatively all right.

Albus cleared his throat as he began reading names. A collective intake of breath was heard as everyone anticipated the casualties.

"Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. Fred Weasley. George Weasley. Nymphadora Tonks. Ronald Weasley." The girl across from him almost lost composure when a long, but quiet, sob came from her mouth. "And Luna Lovegood. Their deaths are a tragedy, but they were not in vain, for on this night, Tom Riddle, and his prejudiced beliefs, died, too. The wizarding world can rest at ease. This coming time will be for both celebration and mourning – true evil has been vanquished from this world, for now. However, we should not keep our guard down. There is no Light without Dark for long, or vice verse. It has now become clear to the whole world that each war is the creation of a preceding war and the generator of new present or future wars. With that said, I think that a good night's sleep is in order, for everyone. You all fought valiantly and good has prevailed over evil on this night."

A bustle of people standing up and a few unadulterated sobs echoed around the hall. People filed out as if they were a funeral procession. _I'm going to be glad to sleep tonight – that is, if the nightmares don't return._ He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

Severus made to stand up when he felt a small hand rest on his larger one. He looked over and met the eyes of Hermione Granger.

"Professor, I just wanted to say thank you for tonight. I was weakening, and you saved my life," she smiled through tear-filled eyes.

"It was really no trouble to me, Miss Granger. However, I would advise you not to bandy that information about – I have a reputation to keep up," he quirked an eyebrow as she laughed softly.

"Well, thanks," she said shakily. "I better be going." She turned before he saw the tears fall from her eyes.

"Miss Granger," he started, at a loss for what to say to comfort her. He opened and closed his mouth twice, and finally uttered, "I'm sorry."

She turned around, cheeks glistening with tears, and looked up at him with her big, baleful, brown eyes, the smallest of forced smiles on her face. She grabbed his hand, squeezed it and walked away, leaving him standing in the middle of the Great Hall in bloodied clothes and with a dirty and battered face.

He swept around, walking towards the dungeons, completely immersed in thought. He fingers intertwined themselves and a scowl affixed itself on his face.

_What is this girl – woman – doing to me? It's simply the adrenaline in my body – I'm just a little shaken up from the fighting. Nothing to worry about. Hermione, damn it, Miss Granger, will be fine without her Casanova Weasley. Better off, even._ He shook his head, not acknowledging that fact he had been jealous of the Weasley boy that had her attentions for the past 3 years.

He arrived at his door faster than he expected, and was thankful for the hearty supply of fire whiskey he had obtained for pain and painful thoughts.

* * *

_Mors Certa: 'Death is Certain.'  
__The title is a quote from Goethe's Faust. 'Methinks, by most, 'twill be confess'd That Death is never quite a welcome guest.' Spoken by the devil – Mephistopheles.  
_'_As if there were safety in stupidity alone' – Henry David Thoreau; Walden.  
_'_There is strong shadow where there is much light' –Goethe; Götz von Berlichingen  
_'_Men are deceivers ever' – "Men were deceivers ever" is from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.  
_'_It has now become clear to the whole world that each war is the creation of a preceding war and the generator of new present or future wars.'- Maxim Maximovich Litvinov_


End file.
